Exclusive
Southeast Asia’s Fragmented Environmental Governance Southeast Asia’s Fragmented Environmental Governance After Years of Waiting, Noel Tata Presides Unchallenged over India’s Biggest Business After Years of Waiting, Noel Tata Presides Unchallenged over India’s Biggest Business Despite years of confiscations, the Met still holds hundreds of pieces linked to alleged trafficking and looting figures Despite years of confiscations, the Met still holds hundreds of pieces linked to alleged trafficking and looting figures
Current Affairs

Singapore’s Carousell hits profitability milestone, banks on AI as ‘force multiplier’

At Carousell’s Singapore office, a red tunnel greets employees with the company’s mission to “make second-hand the first choice” – a slogan its leaders say…

By Samantha Johnson / July 7, 2026
At Carousell’s Singapore office, a red tunnel greets employees with the company’s mission to “make second-hand the first choice” – a slogan its leaders say is moving closer to reality as the platform for buying and selling used goods recorded its first positive adjusted operating profit.

The Singapore-headquartered company, last valued at US$1.1 billion in 2021, said on Tuesday it had achieved positive Ebitda – earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation – for the first time, using the closely watched measure of operating performance. Revenue grew 18 per cent year on year to S$141 million (US$109 million).

For Carousell, founded in 2012 as a listings app where users could sell unwanted items, the milestone is also a test of its evolution from online classifieds into a more trusted, managed re-commerce business.

A red tunnel greets employees at Carousell’s Singapore office, showing the company’s mission to “make second-hand the first choice”. Photo: Jean Iau
A red tunnel greets employees at Carousell’s Singapore office, showing the company’s mission to “make second-hand the first choice”. Photo: Jean Iau

Speaking to This Week in Asia from Carousell’s office in Singapore’s start-up district one-north, co-founder Marcus Tan, who started the company with Quek Siu Rui and Lucas Ngoo, said the most rewarding part of the milestone was seeing years of investment in user experience begin to pay off.

“It’s a multi-year kind of transformation, so whatever happened today was built many years back, and I think we are forward-looking as well as excited about the growth ahead,” Tan said.

“To me the biggest thing is that all these things – the transformation – have really added to this whole financial milestone of profitability […] What’s even more important is that it’s not the end, it’s actually the start of a bigger leap ahead.”

According to Shing Tai Leung, chief strategy officer at Carousell, the company will focus on re-commerce – buying and selling second-hand items – going forward, in addition to its original purpose as an online classified listings app.

Don't Miss: